Things other than rigging…

Not that we don’t like rigging… we do. But here’s some non-rigging activity around the ship.

A little while ago, we saw Trev starting on the jiboom. Here’s a compressed view of his progress.

The original shaping defined the taper of the spar but kept the sides square to one another.

He then drew circles representing the final cross section of the spar at various locations along its length. Although it tapers, the cross-section of the jiboom is still circular, not oval. This makes the rounding process a little easier as far as layout goes.

These circles, when combined with a few specific tangent lines, give him points that he can use to lay out the guide lines for 8 and then 16-siding the spar. In this case, the red lines define the corners for 8-siding and the green lines define the 16-siding.

Making square stock round creates a Lot of shavings.

There are a number of ways to go the last mile from faceted to smooth round. One method is to sand down the facets using a loop of sandpaper running around a drum, powered by a drill.

This method requires the operator to be in constant motion and use consistent pressure to keep from sanding low spots into the mast. It also leaves cross-grain sanding marks that require sanding with the grain to remove. Sometimes it’s just easier to use a hand plane to do the final smoothing.

The surface resulting from this method won’t require any sanding if your technique is good. Not only that, there is little risk of creating low spots as you go, since the plane works by slicing off the high spots as it’s run over the surface of the wood.

And there we are, one jibbom. No sanding.

And while rigging is clearly the focus of this phase of the restoration, there are lots of other projects going on. Here, Bob and Jon lap the edges of some yellow pine stock that will form the floor of the engine room.

And you did know that, by “engine room” I meant the room that will house the electric generator and diesel pump, right? No mechanical propulsion here, no bow thrusters, no Z drive. Just checking…

Here it is getting fastened down.

This area will eventually be enclosed so that visitors will only see the outside of a walled room when they visit the hold. Not exactly what one would see in 1841, but a good compromise.

Early in the restoration, steel I-beams were installed to allow rolling gantries to lift timbers throughout the hold. We’ll still need some of these to install the mechanicals, but most can come out now. Here, Trev, Paul, and Haley haul one up using a block and tackle attached to a shear (the wooden A-frame in the background).

A survey of the deck showed that a few deck planks were need of replacement. Jamie took on the task of cutting out the old planks, removing the spikes that held them, and installing new ones.

Shaping the new planks.

A new plank fastened and bunged.

Rob walked Jamie through big boat caulking, and then turned him loose.

They worked together doing the final setting using a hawsing iron and beetle mallet.

They’ll follow up with a line of hot tar to seal the seam.

Paul and Haley have been setting up temporary mast boots to stop water from coming into the boat from where the mast goes through the deck. The Permanent boot will be made of waterproofed canvas, but for now, they’re using a lighter cloth and spraying it with water repellant. Paul starts by fitting the cloth to the spar (the foremast in this case) and then cutting it out.

The cloth is then tied tightly to the mast with loops of cord, and folded down over those loops.

Haley is sewing up the vertical seam on this one (the main mast).

Finally, the lower edge is bound tightly to the bolsters with tarred seine twine. The bolsters are wooden rings that support the mast as it comes up through the deck.

Since these are temporary, you can see a slight line of clear tape sealing the upper edge of the boot against the mast.

Roger has been busy rebuilding the fo’c’sle bunks.

Ok, it only took him one day. But he worked his butt off.

Kevin has been repairing and rebuilding the captain’s cabin jointer work. It’s awkward work at times.

Wicked awkward.

We’ve added a lot more lead ballast recently. That’s the stuff that looks like brick. I can’t recall how many tons you’re looking at here, but it’s a lot, and all placed by hand.

I’ll leave you with a couple of my favorite recent photos. First, drilling for the gate bolts on the fore topmast trestle trees.

Second, a section of parrel bucket and the hoop that binds it.

(this low winter sun is great for dramatic shadows)

Third, Rob shaping the holes in a new deadeye.

And lastly, a deadeye with the turks head knot that you saw Matt tying a few entries ago.